Data processing system





1. FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH A SYSTEM ADAPTED TO PROCESS INDIVIDUAL DATA ITEMSAND ADAPTED TO PROCESS AS AN ENTITY DOUBLE-ITEMS COMPOSED OF A PAIR OFSAID DATA ITEMS, WHEREIN EACH OF SAID DATA ITEMS COMPRISES A NUMERICALPORTION REPRESENTING A NUMERICAL QUANTITY AND A SIGN PORTIONREPRESENTING THE ALGEBRAIC SIGN OF THE NUMERICAL PORTION THEREOF, ANDWHEREIN THERE IS PROVIDED A STORAGE MEANS FOR STORING DOUBLE-ITEMS;APPARATUS FOR ENTERING DOUBLE-ITEMS INTO SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING: AREGISTER FOR PROVIDING TEMPORARY STORAGE FOR A DATA ITEM AND HAVING AFIRST SECTION AND A SECOND SECTION, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A FIRST DATAITEM, MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID FIRST DATA ITEM AND FOR INSERTING THENUMERICAL PORTION THEREOF INTO SAID FIRST SECTION AND THE SIGN PORTIONTHEREOF INTO SAID SECOND SECTION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE INSERTION OFSAID FIRST DATA ITEM INTO SAID REGISTER TO TRANSFER A REPRESENTATION OFTHE CONTENTS OF SAID REGISTER TO SAID STORAGE MEANS, MEANS FOR RETAININGTHE SIGN PORTION OF SAID FIRST DATA ITEM IN SAID SECOND SECTION OF SAIDREGISTER, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AND ADDITIONAL NUMERICAL PORTION, MEANSFOR INSERTING SAID ADDITIONAL NUMERICAL PORTION INTO SID FIRST SECTIONFOLLOWING SAID TRANSFER OF A REPRESENTATION, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THEINSERTION OF SAID SECOND NUMERICAL PORTION INTO SAID REGISTER TOTRANSFER A REPRESENTATION OF THE CONTENTS OF SAID REGISTER TO SAIDSTORAGE MEANS.